Assignment:
Citing Sources of Information
As professionals, it is vital that we always provide sources for the information we present:
• Citing sources is an ethical obligation to fellow authors. Nobody "just knows" stuff; we all learn from others, and we are acting unethically if we do not give fair credit to those from whom we learned.
• Citing sources establishes credibility and allows readers to check our work. Savvy technical readers do not just accept statements of fact without checking those facts.
To give you practice in citing sources, answer the following questions using complete sentences. You can simply type your answer in the space below each question. (I have answered the first question for you to provide an example of what I expect. Each response is formatted using the style Body Text Indent and a list style. Do not change the formatting-just type.)
Cite sources using an (Author Year) citation in the response, and add a complete reference listing for each source in the References list at the end of the document. (For examples of correct citations and reference listings, see the English 202 Style Guide.)
1. According to Tebeaux and Dragga, how does inadvertent plagiarism differ from intentional plagiarism?
Intent makes no difference. Tebeaux and Dragga (2015 p45) state that "intentions are immaterial." Using the words of another without providing credit is still plagiarism, even if done unintentionally.
Notice how the citation in the sentence above is simplified to (Year) rather than (Author Year). When the author has just been mentioned in the sentence, just cite the year of publication or access.
Notice also that a page number was given in the citation because the source is a lengthy document.
2. When borrowing a substantial portion from an original source, what, according to Tebeaux and Dragga, are your ethical and legal duties?
3. According to Tebeaux and Dragga, what permission do you need to use material in the public domain?
For the remaining questions, you will need to do some research on the Internet. (You must cite a source for each answer.)
4. How does a proportional typeface differ from a monospaced typeface?
5. According to the Oxford Dictionaries, how many spaces should you add before and after an em dash?
6. How does a hyphen differ from a dash?
7. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, how many spaces do you need between two consecutive sentences in the same paragraph? (In other words, after you add end punctuation to the first sentence, how many times do you press the Space bar before you start typing the next sentence?)
8. What are the four principles of minimalist instructional design as defined by John Carroll?
Write an introductory sentence that cites a source, and then list the four principles by simply typing these principles in the formatted paragraphs I have provided.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
9. What is Per Capita Gross Domestic Product?
10. What is the given-new principle of writing?
References (remember to alphabetize by author!)
Tebeaux E and Dragga S. 2015. The Essentials of Technical Communication, Third Edition. Oxford University Press. New York.